The Internet is Blurring the Line Between Fact and Fiction

For a change from beauty and fashion reviews, today I'm blogging about something that's really been bothering me. I hope if you are reading this, you will take a moment to weigh in and let me know what you think about the following:

In the 16 years that I've been writing content online, there have been many changes in the World Wide Web. One thing that hasn't changed is the way the net can blur the distinction between the real world, and the virtual one. Cloaked in the anonymity of the Internet, people behave as if there are no consequences to their actions. It's more than just lying (e.g. saying you are a hot teenage girl when you're really a 60 year old man). It is also the way the net allows people to act rudely just because no one can see them, and to "pretend" to be or to have done things that aren't true.

It may be tempting to think that while you are sitting in front of your computer, you're actually on a date, or kissing someone, or traveling to distant lands, or sipping fine wine, but that's not really true. A virtual reality is still not the same as being there and experiencing something.

Along the same lines, it is tempting for some online content providers (often those who are just starting out or who have no time for actual writing) to post stock photos and press releases that are really "advertorials." This is already what I'd call "junk content" but worse than that, many of these misguided "writers" fashion their posts and articles "as if" they had actually experienced the event or tried the product they're promoting (for free or for a fee). If you didn't get the same press releases they got, you might never know that they were creating a fiction.

Increasingly, I'm offered high resolution photos in lieu of actual products or invitations to events with the explanation that it's "economical." Maybe so, but is it worth your time to read it? Posting this kind of material (you can see the exact, same wording and photos on blog after blog), blurs the line between fact and fiction, writing and junk. If I were to post these free bits of info on this blog and my web site instead of actually working to produce unique work, , what's the value of it? How many times can you see the same photos and read the same blurbs? Doesn't this just cheapen the field of journalism and the net, in general?

In the print world, authors like James Frey and Holocaust survivor Herman Rosenblat (just to name two that caught Oprah's eye and fooled her), are profiting nicely from twisting the truth. In fact, the public seems to be more interested in their deception than in their real stories! Isn't a book that looks like fact, but is really fiction, just fodder for fools? Don't we deserve better from writers?

I strongly feel that writers have an obligation to provide quality content instead of just, well...content. I offer the same thoughtful, high quality work online that I would offer to any other publication. I won't run advertorials. They have a place...but only as paid advertising and marked as such. I really hope that at least Advice Sisters readers are intelligent and appreciate the difference between what's written from personal experience, and an advertisement.

You can trust what you read on the Advice Sisters web site and blog. It is always original, it is always real, and it is always written from first-hand "up close and personal" experience. This takes a lot more skill, time and effort, but it is what makes me a writer instead of a collector of junk information. It's the only way I'll ever write. And, if I ever use a press release, I make sure it is labeled as such. I wish everyone did the same. Until they do, it's up to you to separate fact from fiction--Caveat Lector!


How do you feel about this issue? Would you be as willing to read my reviews if they were just "canned" information with glossy photos? I'd really welcome your comments.

Spring Color, Fashion and Accessory Trends-Sneak Peek at Moda Manhattan, Fame, and the Accessories Show

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Moda Mahattan, Fame and Accessories, the Show is a trade exhibition held at the Javits Center every season. It's my favorite trio of shows, and I try not to miss it.

Spring was not really in the air outside, but inside, a profusion of color heralded visions of warm sunshine to come. Business Journals Inc., a business media company that produces 5 business-to-business magazines, 8 trade shows, and a number of seminars and web sites, produces these shows. Wholesale buyers can find the equivalent of five city blocks of RTW (ready to wear) fashion and accessories, all in one place! My personal favorite of the three shows is the Accesories Show is the only juried, all-accessories trade event in the entire USA.

Here are a few trends for Spring you are sure to be seeing in your local stores just about the time Valentine's Day goodies are stowed:

The first trend is bright colors. Both at SPRING 2009 FASHION WEEK and at this trade show, designers were adding vibrant pops into their collections, mixed with deeper, translucent or neutral tones. Perhaps they were hoping for better times ahead. There was plenty of traditional navy, white and beige, but as you can see color was everywhere...



....from brightly colored peasant and boho clothing (lots of very pretty, loose, peasant-style dresses)


...to handbags in every color of the rainbow. I particularly liked the royal purple "Birkin" style bag (not inexpensive in pony hair, but you can find similar bags in synthetics that give the same "look")

The hot colors were literally, hot: lemon yellow, bright orange, acid green and stark white harken back to the early 1970's, when color and prints were all the rage.


Trend number two was prints...huge at these shows. Tattoo inspired prints and lots of large, wild prints in bright colors showed up in everything from shoes to to hats (these from Kippys) to hairbands (these soft and comfy ones from Violet Love) to "tattoo inspired" T-shirts. If you buy one thing this season, get it in a bold print--instant update!



A third trend is embellishment. Spring is a time to shine, literally and figuratively. Glitter, rhinestones, chains, studs, and beaded details were everywhere, such as on this yellow dress that uses beads and rhinestones as an embellishment and as a halter (what a way to keep your dress up)! Tarin is holding a beautiful, beige leather jacket (new from Kippys) featuring a fleur de lis covered with sparkling crystals. Throw this jacket over anything you own and it's instantly updated...and instant "rock star."


In a year when many people are likely to new purchases very carefully, accessories will be more popular than ever. maybe you can't afford a designer dress or $300 jeans, but a great belt, a handbag in a lively color, or perhaps, just an eye-catching piece of costume jewelry, might still work in your budget. One "signature" piece can make last year's fashion, new again. Go for the unusual. These "fortune cookie" necklaces from Bee Charming are mini versions of the real thing that = with tags that read: fame, happiness, health, love, luck, wealth (you can write your own wish on the other side to personalize it). They are come in a mini takeout container --cute!

If you really are on beer and peanuts, dont' despair. A pair of tattoo-inspired fishnet knee highs $26.00 or patterned tights $28.00 from Rebecca Michael's Violet Love will make the statement you crave. Or, just add a pop of color to your outfit with a Violet Love headband $17.00.

These pictures make me want to go shopping right now. Don't you feel it too? Spring is on it's way! Do you like these new trends? Leave a comment!

Hand Cream Showdown -Total Beauty

Hand Cream Showdown

Find out which top hand hydrators our testers found desk drawer-worthy

Dry winter air making your hands all chapped and gross-looking? Join the club. Battle the dryness with one of these proven hand creams, your fingers will thank you. View creams

Le Soin Noir by Givenchy - Bumping Skincare Up Another Notch

Every year, a few superstar players in the cosmetics industry produce something exceptional....and expensive. The newest entry is Le Soin Noir $360 1.7 fl. oz. by Givenchy.

The packaging features a stark, clear cube with engraved Givenchy logo on the front, and a sharp, smooth, black top, making this look like sci-fi cube weapon. But it's actually a "weapon" against aging, a moisturizing treatment that has an exclusive Vital Black Algae Sap Concentrate. It took five years to engineer this vital black algae sap into a skincare ingredient, and it's being used the first time in cosmetics. That already makes this product one that fashionistas will covet. But black algae Sap was chosen at least in part, for it's ability to survive under the sea in hostile environments, because it is rich in vital fatty acids, and because it contains a molecule that is said to help cells connect and communicate with each other. This restorative function helps keeps your skin cells healthy for longer, and packs parched (and mature) skin with moisture.

Another unique feature of Le Soin Noir is the color. "Le Soin Noir" sounds like an independent film title, but it simply means: "The Black Care" in French. While most skincare is clear, white, or ivory, this one appears fashion-week ready, colored pure black with tiny silver sparkles, in the jar. The lightly scented gel appears a sheer black to start on your skin, like "goth gloss," but the color vanishes the moment you massage it into your skin. The feel of the product is extraordinary, too. While many serums and gels feel oily or greasy until they are absorbed, this one just feels like liquid silk.

Should you purchase this pricey product? You have only one skin so you should do all that you can to take care of it, but do you need a cream with this particular, exotic ingredient? I sample so many skincare items, I know when I've discovered something truly special....and this product definitely is fabulously special. But I'm basing my judgement on a few days with a small sample, and I didn't use it for long enough to determine whether my skin would get better and better if I used this longer and longer. My first trials with this product showed immediate results: much ssofter, much smoother, much silkier, and somehow, calmer looking skin. I didn't turn back the hands of time twenty five years, but my skin did look really nice. There's also the intrinsic, "wow" factor of opening the top of the gorgeous jar and applying something rare and expensive that few have the means to enjoy. If I had no budget restrictions I would most definitely consider this my newest "must-have-at-any-cost." But before you go out and plunk down your hard-earned wages for this product, be sure it's the one you like the best, given your age, skin condition, and skin care goals, If you love it, then it's maybe worth cutting back on other things to own and use it. There's absolutely no doubt that this is a unique, cutting-edge, fascinating, luxury item that has bumped skincare up yet another notch.

Le Soin Noir is available online only at www.sephora.com and at Sephora 5th Avenue in New York City. Visit http://www.parfumsgivenchy.com/ or more specifically to Le Soin Noir: www.lesoinoir.com for more information

Soma's Vanishing Edge Panties K-O VPL

Nothing ruins the looks of your clothes more than VPL (visible panty line). The telltale bulges just make you look tacky, and besides, didn't mom tell you not to display your underwear in public?!

Soma Intimates has an inexpensive solution that feels good and looks better. Soma Intimates is owned by the Chico’s retail chain, beloved by casual women who love the brand's kind to every figure, fashions.

Vanishing Edge Panties feature Soma's Vanishing Edge™ technology of a breathable, flexible, clear silicone applied inside the panty where you sit, and where VPL lurks to embarrass you. The wafer-thin, nylon/spandex panty has a cotton lining and feels like a second skin. It's nearly invisible under even tight pants or clingy knits. The Vanishing edge sticks to your skin and and simply doesn't budge, bunch, or reveal that bottom bulge created the thicker edge of most panties. You will see a tiny bit of a crease in very tight pants, but the panty line vanishing act is pretty impressive.

I tried both the Bikini $12.00 and the Boyshort $12.00. Both styles are comfortable, so much so that you may forget you're not going commando." There is also a High-Leg Brief , a Hipster, and a Modern Brief $12.00 each.

Depending upon the style you choose, the panty is available in 4-8 colors: black, brown, tan, red, pastel orchid, pink and blue.

Even newer is the Vanishing Edge High Leg Brief in lace. I didn't try this model, but I've seen it. The lace is pretty but not too openwork, and it feels soft and comfortable, as does a coordinating Vanishing Lace Bra $42.00 to make a sensual set. The bras come in popular styles such as plunge, full and minimizer) and in nylon and spandex.

TIP: sizing is one up in Vanishing Edge in Micro-fiber, Vanishing Edge lace runs true to size.

Soma Intimates are available exclusively in 72 Soma Intimates stores and online a www.soma.com

The panties held up well in a washing machine, but if you're traveling another bonus of these is that they dry really quickly. So fast, in fact, that you can almost blow them dry with a hair dryer. Hopefully, you're not that desperate, but they also pack super-flat. They're available in what Soma calls the "Soma" fit. Sizes S, M, L, XL. Bikini$12 500001596.
Hipster$12 500001299.

New Ideas For a New & Improved, You in 2009

HAPPIEST OF NEW YEARS!

The holidays are over. You've made it through another year! This is the year to make changes.

The Advice Sisters Winter 2009 "What Works" Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column focuses on ways to create a "new & improved" you. You'll find lots of Winter beauty solutions, along with Winter beauty "bests." The second page of the column features The Advice Sisters® Exclusive What Works" Buyer's Guide where you can find access to products and purchasing information. Shop from home and stay warm and dry at home, save money and time, and even reduce your carbon footprint!

Do you like the Winter column? Share your thoughts. The Advice Sisters Bulletin Boards: are all new for 2009 and updated, daily! Share opinions, read and post reviews, learn about contest, hear the latest celebrity news, and get information you can really use. We are starting over again for 2009 and hope you will give us your input. It takes just seconds to register to read the posts so you can be a member and participate. You'll be glad you did!

Pedi_Relax, treats feet!

The other day I noticed that my heels were so dry, they were actually catching the threads on my blanket! Chalk it up to wearing heavier shoes and dealing with the dry heat of Winter.

Thankfully, Pedi-Relax by Sante Active is a French line of effective foot care products combining science with natural essential oils that look expensive, but are shockingly affordable. For more than 35 years, Europeans have enjoyed these products featuring gels, creams and sprays that pamper, protect and refresh your skin. Now, the line is available in the USA. The srp. of the products is $7.99 per item, and includes an Exfoliating Cream, Moisturizing Massage Cream, Moisturizing Repair Cream, Refreshing Deodorant Spray, Intense Hydrating Cream, and Protective Barrier Cream.





There's also a new, Pedi-Relax Set With Essential Oils $19.99 that features a trio of foot treats: Intense Hydrating Cream (for dry and damaged feet), Exfoliating Cream (to keep feet feeling smooth) and Protective Barrier cream (to help prevent blisters). This is a great way to try the line, to keep feet from being dry, irritated and cracked, and it's a nice gift, too.





The set is housed in a white box box with cello window and contains 4.2 oz. flip-top tubes of the Intense Hydrating Cream for Feet (with Urea, Lactamide MEA, Petrolatum and Glycerin for moisture and hydration-Limonene and Piroctone Olamine to protect feet-Tocopheryl Nicotinate for circulation maintenance); the Exfoliating Cream for Feet (strong exfoliation that's really great for dry feet with calluses) featuring Lemon Peel Oil for purifying-Urea, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid and Polyethylene Microbeads for exfoliating and smoothing; and a Protective Barrier Cream for Feet -Specifically formulated to create protective barrier between feet and shoes. The soothing lotion has a barrier of silicone and Squalane to prevent rubbing and overheating of feet during exercise, while a blend of Sweet Almond Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5 and Squalane provide moisture.





The Winter is one of the worst times for feet and you don't need to fork over a fortune for footcare. Pedi-Relax lets you treat your feet, all Winter long.

Visit www.santeactive.com for more information and ordering

G.M. Collin's Collection of Skincare Goodies Gets Good Skin, Glowing!

Last year I attended the annual Fall Media event hosted by Spa Magazine, and met representatives from G.M. Collin. I knew their products would be special when I received their electronic press kit: a memory stick on a rubber bracelet. Dedicated to protecting the environment, G.M. Collin has a green approach from the selection of ingredients, to recycled/recyclable packaging, and every aspect of the manufacturing process. All their products are derived from natural plant and marine extracts and are biotechnologically developed to be results oriented. Moreover, there are a dizzyingly huge collection of products to suit just about every skin type and every skin problem you can think of.



One product I tried is the Active C Serum $92.00 0.5 fl. oz. This is a very concentrated serum created from 100% active Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects skin from the negative effects of free radicals, stimulates collagen synthesis, and helps skin look more youthful and radiant. It also helps reduce the visible signs of premature aging and is good for all skin types.


The packaging on this product looks clinical and impressive. with two 0.25 fl. oz. orange-tinted glass vials and two orange plastic tips that cover the product once you break the seal. I like the freshness factor, although I couldn't quite understand how the two vials together could be a four-week treatment, since each of the vials is supposedly at it's freshest for only 10 days after you begin to use it. This alcohol-free formula doesn't become "active" until you release the powder contained in the upper part of the white "stopple" into the orange vial, by pressing down on the top.



After you've shaken the powder into the liquid in the vial you can break the safety seal and remove the cap. I pulled the entire thing off first, and then had a bit of a struggle replacing the top--but it pays to read directions before you begin! Each morning and evening, after cleansing your face, apply 5 drops of slightly citrusy-y scented Active C Serum on the face and work it into your skin. The web site suggests you do it "by effleurage," a massage technique using flowing movements up and down the face and neck during a facial. I just lightly rubbed it into my skin. You can also apply this serum on fine lines around the eyes (crow's feet) but you are supposed to avoid direct contact with the eyes. For that reason, I decided not to use it in that sensitive area at all. After applying the serum you still should apply a moisturizer and sun block. Vitamin C is known to be a proverbial "fountain of youth," and this product, while expensive, keeps it fresh and powerful. If you have room in your beauty budget, go for it!

Another G.M. Collin product I really liked was the Lip "Plumping" Complex $37.50 .26 fl. oz. A clear rectangular tube with silvery wanded top dispenses a silky, clear (moist not shiny) gloss with collagen and hyaluronic acid (a super-moisturizer) microspheres to plump and improve the look of your lips. The light, slightly citrus scent is also a plus. hydration, for fuller more sensual-looking lips. As with many lip plumpers, this one tingles, but not unpleasantly so. If you use this one the recommended three times a day (it's actually pretty addictive) your lips will feel better and have a sexier look, although the pricey wand of plumper won't be lasting too long! You are supposed wait 5 minutes before applying lip color, but actually, mine lips looked so much fuller and pinker, I didn't bother!

G.M. Collin A.G.E. Defense $106.00 and contains 1.7 oz. is good for all skin types and has 8 antioxidants and 5 peptides including Matrixyl and Dermaxyl, Rice Peptides, and (I have it on authority) also Scavenol™ NDGA (a powerful antioxidant) and Eukarion 134 that mimics the body’s own enzymes responsible for cell protection. Six other high-performance antioxidants – Coenzyme Q10, Castaline, Carnosine, White Birch Extract, Vitamins E & C and Melon Extract help pack an age-fighting punch. The light cream is meant to be used day and evening, to combat the signs of aging. The state-of-the-art moisturizer targets aging skin caused by free radicals and harmful environmental saboteurs, and helps restore skin’s natural resiliency and elasticity. It also help to brighten and even out skin tone and improve the skin's texture.
As with all skin care, you need to know what products are going to be the best for your skin, use them properly, use them regularly, and keep your expectations, reasonable. I like the pewter pump bottle and the refreshing, herbal scent and the easily-absorbed cream that packs a punch, but isn't greasy.



Since this has so many ingredients in it I've included them all: Ingredients: Water/Eau, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate-20, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil (Omeaga 3, 6, 9), Tri C12-13 Alkyl Citrate, Aqualane (Vegetal), Dipropylene Glycol, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Scrophularia Nodasa Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Ubiquinone, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Fragrance/Parfum, Soybean (Glycine Soya), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tribehenin, Ceramide 2, PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Dextrin, Castanea Sativa (Chestnut) Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, L-Carnosine, Triethanolamine, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate, Tetrahydropiperine, Madecassoside, Titanium Dioxide, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Maltodextin Crosspolymer, Cucumis Melo (Melon) Fruit Extract.

UnWrinkle by Peter Thomas Roth - Can You Turn Back Time?

One of my absolute favorite cosmetics products in 1008 was UnWrinkle Pressed Powder by Peter Thomas Roth. The Advice Sisters have also reviewed UnWrinkle Eye . These high end products have special bennies for anyone with early signs of aging. or who already has lived a little more, and her/his face is showing it. We recently got a small sample of the original UnWrinkle 1 fl. oz. $120.00 *travel size $75.00 .05 fl. oz. . When you're purchasing a costly skincare product you really have to know whether or not it is going to be appropriate for your skin, and keep your expectations within the realm of reason. No cream, potion, lotion or serum I have ever tried will turn back the hands of time and make you look like a teenager again when it's been decades past that time. Reviews about UnWrinkle have ranged from incredible (the best product ever), to incredulous (who would buy this? It's just a waste of money).

For starters, this is more of a serum than an anti-wrinkle cream. It has a patent-pending, exclusive blend of six powerful ingredients to combat aging, eliminate the appearance of deep wrinkles & facial expression lines, help boost natural collagen production and leave skin looking firm and smooth. In fact, the web site boasts an up to "72% reduction in wrinkle size in just 28 days." The product has 23% wrinkle relaxing and anti-aging peptides and neuropeptides, combined with vitamins and moisturizers. Some of the peptides are unique, new and high tech: 4% " SYN-AKE" at 4% (synthetic peptide which mimics snake venom activity); 10% "SNAP-8" at 10%, a safer, pain-free alternative to the injected Botulinum Toxin that topically helps target the same wrinkle formation mechanism: 3% " SYN-COL:" Argireline at 3% and Matrixyl 3000 (a dual peptide) at 3% . These are already known to help boost natural collagen production and leave skin looking soft, smooth and hopefully, more youthful.

I like the sleek looking container, a squat, silver column with a recessed, push-pump top of white and silver that even has a plastic "keeper" over the nozzle to keep it clean and bacteria free.

There is no possibly way that I can say for sure that UnWrinkle works better than other pricey skincare options with similar ingredients, because my skin isn't your skin, and I can't use anything without interruption for 28 days, but the concentrated product is light and non-sticky, has no scent, and absorbs quickly. You don't need a lot so it might actually be economical within the reasonable terms. It should reduce fine lines and crows feet fairly easily. It should make skin look visibly improved with regular use. Depending upon where you purchase yours, you might get a 30-day money back guarantee, so if you want to try it, you have nothing to lose. I really like Peter Thomas Roth Products despite their high end price tags, and that's my personal opinion. I'd love to hear what you think of them.